Chapter Two: Meeting the Imprint
I showed up at Sam Uley's house around noon, having slept in this morning and then having to hunt since I was hungry again so I took my Mercedes down to La Push at top speed to see my Ayasha. I had dreams about her and surprisingly I felt more rested than I felt since our move here.
Mrs. Uley answered the door and smiled when she saw me standing there. "Come on in. Ayasha is up in here room right now. She has a date in a few hours," she said, ushering me inside her home.
"With Blaise?" I asked, following her into the kitchen. It looked like she was busy making lunch for an army so I offered me help.
"Yes. I think Blaise is part of her rebellion stage actually. He's an alright boy but too…never mind. It is not my place to judge," Emily said, placing a stack of sandwiches on a plate and putting it on the table.
"I see," I mumbled, putting a giant bowl of chips on the table too. At that moment I heard tiny feet moving around upstairs before Ayasha came down the stairs, dressed in jeans and tank top with ballerina shoes on with her hair braided down her back. She looked nice.
"Oh, hey, I didn't know you where here, Jr.," she exclaimed, her face holding innocent surprise. My brow furrowed.
"Jr.? I don't get it," I stated, giving her a half smile. Was it always this easy to smile or was it being around her? My body felt, I don't know, electrically charged from just looking at her. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like if I made her laugh or smile or even touch her! I was suddenly curious about how I'd feel then.
"You know, you're name is Ephraim Jr. It's less of a mouthful this way," she explained, smiling at me as she walked by to grab a sandwich. My mouth curled upwards on its own and my stomach gave a happy little flutter. Interesting.
"Go ahead and help yourself to some lunch, Ephraim. The boys will be here soon so you might want to grab seconds," Mrs. Uley exclaimed, glancing out of the back window. I nodded my thanks and grabbed four sandwiches. That should hold me over for maybe an hour.
After I ate my food I went into the living room and sat there, looking around the house and testing the smells. The house was, well, normal; the basic TV, couch, coffee table and lamps all sitting in their right place. The smells were the most interesting though. I could smell the musky scent of werewolf everywhere. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up territorially. There were other smells too. A light scent of cinnamon and sugar, which I'd guess was Emily since she was always working in the kitchen to feed her teenage wolf son. Another smell was there too which I liked immediately; peaches and freesias but if you combined them though, it smelled like sunshine. It was mouth watering, but in a good way, not a thirsty way.
"Hey Jr., why are you here?" Ayasha asked, sitting on the couch beside of me. I liked her sitting this close. It would be better if she was closer but this worked just fine.
"Ah, well, there is this wolf thing called imprinting and-"
"You imprinted on me, didn't you Jr.?" she said, looking bored. My mouth fell open in surprise.
"Y-yeah. How did you know?" I asked in amazement.
"I've been around imprint couples all my life. I'm not stupid, Jr.," Ayasha laughed, patting my head like I was a little kid or a dog…..No pun intended.
"Oh. So you know that it is my duty to, um, make stronger bloodlines for the future then," I said awkwardly. She stared at me for a moment before laughing right in my face.
"Oh God! You are hilarious! You think I'm just going to shack up with you just because of your wolfiness. I don't think so buddy. I've got a boyfriend anyway so I'm not interested in you if I can just have something I've already got," Ayasha said.
"But it's our duty to-. " She cut me off by placing a hand over my mouth and giving me a look that made me actually feel ten years old.
"I have no duty so fuck off," she hissed before walking out of the front door, slamming it hard behind her. I stared after her in confusion. That wasn't how I pictured that conversation going at all.
"That went well," Emily said, popping her head into the living room.
"How? I got told to fuck off," I reported back. My tongue felt weird saying curse words. I've never had a real chance to use the words before.
"She didn't scream at you, that was a plus," she said, smiling at me. I went back into the kitchen and sat at the table, leaning my head back on the chair.
I didn't feel so good all of a suddenly. My stomach felt all tight and felt anxious for no reason. It must be the imprint magic or something because I normally didn't feel physically sick.
"I don't mean to pry, Ephraim, but I am curious. Have you ever socialized with kids your own age?" Mrs. Uley asked, sitting across from me.
"Of course not. I'm only ten years old," I stated frankly. Why would I want to hang out with little kids? They're annoying.
Emily blushed, making my thirst itch for a moment but I ignored it. "Sorry, you just don't look your age. I mean, have you spent time with other teenagers?" she said.
I thought about her question carefully before answering. My aunts and uncles looked like teenagers but they weren't really young anymore. My parents totally didn't count and I have never got a chance to spend time with my cousins except for yesterday, which doesn't count.
"No. I have never felt the desire to socialize with anyone outside of my family before I met your daughter. This is all new for me," I answered finally.
"Then I will give you some advice. Teenage girls don't like pushy guys, especially if said guy suggests sex the second time they met. Start with friendship then work from there," Mrs. Uley advised, patting my hand before getting back up.
I sat thinking about what she said when the smell of wolves got stronger and I picked out Kaleb's scent among them. I could feel my blood start to boil and my inner wolf raising its head for a fight.
A pack of boys busted through the kitchen door from the backyard, all of them talking loudly and pushing each other. I watched warily, waiting for Kaleb to come in. The boys all stopped when they saw me sitting there though, making the doorframe crowd up quickly.
"What is that smell?" one of them said. I sniffed my arm and shrugged at them.
"Hey, Mallow isn't that your cousin you were telling us about?" another one exclaimed. I quickly picked my cousin out of the group. He was trying to shrink back and his face was quickly filling with blood. Embarrassment and shame was written all over his face.
"Quit standing in the door and get in here! I made all this food and none of you are even eating yet!" Emily quickly came to my rescue, grabbing the attention of the boys. I got up from my seat to make room and went back into the living room.
I listened to their conversations from the couch, winching every time one of them called me a freak or the Black kid. I didn't hear Kaleb say anything though but I knew he was in there with his pack of brothers.
For the first time in forever I felt a hint of loneliness. I had never had any real friends (family doesn't count) so I suppose I was socially awkward too. I was different from everyone else too. Who else in the world had a wolf for a dad and a half human half vampire for a mother? So I guess that made me 2/4 human, ¼ vampire, and ¼ wolf, or something like that. And I didn't even look like someone from the reservation either. Sure, I was tanned and had raven black hair but I had Grandpa Edward's green eyes and I just, I don't know, stood out from them all. I had noticed that in my two days on the res.
"Hey you," I looked up and saw Mallow standing there, reluctantly looking at me. I glanced behind him and saw a few of the others looking at me curiously.
"What?" I asked. I suddenly felt tired. I wanted to go home, my real home with my vamps and sit with Uncle Jasper so I wouldn't feel so crappy right now.
"Kaleb said to leave so he could enjoy his food and he told me to tell you to stay away from his little sister or he'll kick your ass," Mallow said, not meeting my eyes.
"Kaleb!" Emily gasped, swinging a spoon, I think, and hitting her son in the back of the head.
"Oh. Okay. Tell him not to choke on his sandwich and that I'll see him tomorrow," I said as politely as possible. Mallow looked at me in surprise and turned right around and said it back to his alpha.
I listened in amusement as Kaleb growled. I stood and left the house, having no reason to be there now that Ayasha was gone and another alpha was in my zone. I hopped into my Mercedes and drove away but I didn't go back to my house but went to great grandpa Billy's.
He didn't seem surprised to see me and invited me to watch the baseball game with him. "So, did Ayasha chew you out or slowly drag you over the coals?" he asked, not glancing away from the game.
"I think it was more of the coals actually. Is she always so….you know?" I said, looking at the old man for guidance.
"Yes. She's very opinionated and likes things done her way. You'll have your hands full with her. I don't envy you right now or that Blaise kid either," Billy chuckled, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening in his humor.
"Why is Blaise with her? Doesn't her know he might imprint one day?" I asked, leaning forward eagerly for my answer. Billy kept on smiling though and finally turned away from the TV.
"He's a teenager and teenagers date girls. If he imprints than Ayasha will understand and let him go. Easy as that," he said.
"So, Blaise won't be with her anymore because I imprinted on her?" I asked.
"How should I know? If Ayasha wants him then he'll stay I guess. Jeez, I don't know everything," Billy exclaimed, grinning at me before going back to his game.
I stopped my questions and just tried to enjoy the game without worrying about my imprinting situation but I seemed I couldn't. I was starting to feel physically ill again and I was starting to worry. What if something happened to Ayasha and I wasn't there to help her? She might have sprained her ankle while storming away from me? I felt bile rise up in my throat and I gagged.
"Hey, you okay?" Billy asked concern in his eyes for me. I waved to him that I was fine and hurried away from him. I jumped into my car and breathed heavily. I felt a tugging from the middle of my back, like something was trying to pull me into a certain direction.
I followed the pull, ignoring the speed limit as I drove. I ended up at the beach. I parked and hurried out into the rain, looking around frantically. This pull must be because of Ayasha. Something must be wrong.
I desperately scanned the beach until I spotted a person hunched up farther down from me near a pile of drift wood. It was my imprint. The pull was leading me to her. How interesting from a scientific point of view but I'd have to study it later.
I clumsily made my way over to her, my legs almost moving faster than the rest of me. Why was I so desperate to check on her? This imprinting stuff was confusing me.
"Are you okay?" I panted, dropping down beside her. She jumped, looking at me like a deer caught by a vampire.
"Yeah. What are you doing out here anyway? Don't you know it's raining?" Ayasha said, poking my arm. My arm tingled pleasantly and a small flare seemed to work its way through my body. I liked it.
"Yes, but I don't get sick a lot like most humans so-" I stopped, staring at this very human girl that I had to take care and could very easily get sick. "What are you doing out in the rain? You're going to get sick or kidnapped or you could sprain your ankle? Why are you out here by yourself? I'll take you home right now," I ranted, picking her up and hunching over her to shield her from the rain.
"Whoa, overreaction much? Chillax, Jr. I'm not going to get sick or get kidnapped or whatever else you said," Ayasha said, looking at me like I was crazy. I think I would agree with her too. I didn't feel like I was in my right mind.
"Sorry. I'm not used to this imprinting stuff," I mumbled, raking a hand through my hair. She wasn't even paying attention to me anymore but was looking around my car with curious eyes.
"Huh, very neat in here. Most guys have a bunch of junk in their car," she stated, turning around to look into the backseat.
"Well, I'm a very neat person. My uncle accuses me of having an obsessive compulsive disorder about my car," I said, starting up the Mercedes and pulling away from the beach.
"I can see why. It is banging!" she exclaimed, stroking the leather lovingly. I felt a spur of affection for this girl. She likes my car. This was a good sign.
"Do you want me to take you somewhere?" I asked, idly stopped at a fork in the road. She looked around us before pointing to the left. I took that road and carefully watched the road, aware that if I wrecked (highly unlikely) then she probably couldn't walk away from it. It made my stomach churn again but I easily calmed myself by glancing over at Ayasha.
She was sitting with her feet tucked under her while she watched the trees flash by while her long fingered hand still stroked the leather. Her hair was falling out of its braid and was sticking for her forehead and neck. And her neck was just perfect! It arched perfectly, making her look graceful and elegant even while sitting. I could see her pulse point easily but for once I wasn't thirsty just in awed.
"Stop at that yellow house on the right," she mumbled pointing to a small house that looked like it was on its last leg. "My parents used to live here before Kaleb was born. They rent it to Seth Clearwater now," she explained quietly.
I tensed. "Who's Seth?" How many boyfriends could this girl have? Maybe I really didn't have a chance to strengthen the bloodlines. Perhaps I was just meant to be this girl's friend. I mean, I really didn't know anything about being in a relationship. Heck, I've never even had my first woody morning and I was already a fully grown man physically already. That was a problem I was hoping to fix before Ayasha cut off my balls or something.
"He's a family friend. He was in the pack with my dad and yours years ago and now he's in my brother's. Seth imprinted on your cousin, Maj, way back," Ayasha answered, rolling her eyes at me. Oh, so he'd be family one day.
"Cool. Can I meet him?" I asked. I was curious about this guy. He's been in the pack for a while and he knew my dad before he was even my dad.
"Yeah sure. Seth will welcome you with open arms," she exclaimed, before hopping out of my car. I followed after her into the house, not even knocking.
A grown man, obviously a wolf too, was asleep on a too small couch with his mouth open and snoring so loud that I'm surprised that the house hadn't come down on him yet. He had a nice face though, a kind face.
"Seth, wake up! You've got guests," Ayasha said, whacking his foot. I twitched towards her. Hitting a wolf wasn't the best idea even if they were practically family.
The man jerked, falling off the couch and landing with a loud thud. He shook his head groggily and squinted up at me. "Jake?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and looking at me again. I shifted awkwardly on my feet and rubbed the back of my neck, grinning sheepishly.
"No, sorry, sir," I muttered.
"Ah, you're right. You've got too much Nessie in you. You're defiantly his son though," Seth said, picking himself off the floor. He stuck his hand out for me and grinned happily at me.
"I've heard about you, of course. Edward and Jake have both called about you, both proudly boasting. You don't look ten years old though, must be Nessie's genes there," he exclaimed, clapping me on the back. I grinned at him. I don't think it was possible for a person not to like this man. He was just so…happy.
"Wait, you're only ten?" Ayasha cut in, staring at me in shock. I nodded, watching her for any signs of freaking out on me. "But you don't look it. You look like you're twenty!" she squeaked, waving her hands at me like I didn't already know what I looked like.
"He's part vampire, Ayasha. What do you except?" Seth said, rolling his eyes and walking into the small kitchen that connected with the living room.
"Vampire?" she mouthed. I nodded again. She sat down on the edge of the couch and clasped her hands on her lap. I sat beside her and waited nervously. This was my soul mate that was freaking out here I mean, what else can I do when I don't even know her?
"Is that why Kaleb doesn't like you?" she asked, looking over at me.
"Not that I know of. We're both alphas so it's kind of tense between us, you know. One alpha per pack and technically I'm the rightly alpha to the La Push pack, I think," I explained patiently. My theories were a little sketchy but I think they were right.
"Father like son," Seth breathed, coming to sit on my other side.
"What do you mean?" I asked, turning away form Ayasha since she was soaking it all in still.
"Sam and Jake were the same way. It's funny that's it is happening all over again," he said before taking a big spoonful of cereal.
"Mmmm," I leaned back and thought while Ayasha muttered a few things to herself before suddenly sitting up straight.
"Ewww, the imprinting magic paired me with a ten year old! What a sick sense of humor!" she cried, her face scrunching in distress.
I huffed, offended that she called me a ten year old. "I am physically twenty, thank you very much, and intellectually I'm even smarter than you are, little missy," I retorted, crossing my arms and tilting my chin up stubbornly.
She glared and crossed her arms as well. She death glared the side of my head until I thought I'd drop dead from the heat. I glanced at her and gave her a half smile. "Sorry," I muttered sheepishly, a faint blush filling my cheeks. I scolded myself internally. My parents had raised me better than to pick fights, especially with girls. Ayasha nodded and looked away.
"Goodness, I can't wait to get to this stage of my relationship with Maj. It's going to be so fun and awkward," Seth said, putting his bowl in the sink. I chuckled but quickly turned it into a cough when Ayasha glared at me again.
"I'm not sure what stage you are talking about Seth but I need to go home soon. I've got a date with Blaise in an hour and I need to refix my hair," Ayasha said, standing.
"It looks fine to me," I stated, following her back outside after saying my goodbyes to Seth.
"Says the ten year old that thinks he knows everything," she said in a sing song voice. I glared and started the car, peeling out of the driveway. I dropped her off at her house, mumbling that I'd see her tomorrow. She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.
I though of the meaning to Ayasha's name as I drove back home. The Little One. Not very fitting for her. She had a big attitude and a larger mood range than I've ever seen.
I took a long nap just as my stomach started to churn but I ignored it. Stupid imprint magic.
Author's Note: This was more of a filler chapter. Don't worry Ayasha's attitude will be explained soon. It feels like this story is going everywhere and I hope it doesn't seem that way when you read it. Hopefully, I'll be able to fix that by next chapter.
Things will be getting, dare I say it, hairy next chapter!
Peace out!
